Our history

Cancer Council Victoria is a leading not-for-profit organisation which is committed to preventing and reducing the devastating impact of cancer on our community. Over the course of our history, we have become a leading global cancer organisation through our innovative work in cancer research, prevention, and empowerment.  

The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, as we were known as for the first 66 years of our existence, was formed in 1936. Resources were poured into research with the hope of discovering the cause and cure for cancer. Continuing to foster research and patient care, we launched two prominent campaigns: Quit and SunSmart. The 1960s’ “Campaign Against Smoking” is now our longest-running and most effective campaign, and SunSmart during the 1980s has increasingly influenced the way we think about the sun and our skin. These will remain some of our most important contributions to Australian culture.  

Cancer Council’s impact has continued to grow in the 21^st Century. We have drastically changed the perception of cigarettes, encouraged the use of sunscreen, increased awareness about the necessity of cancer screening and aided countries around us in law and cancer. We now tackle the concerning popularity of vaping.