Melanie Nivison Oppenheimer, FASSA (born 9 November 1957) is an Australian historian, who specialises in the history of volunteering, and a former actress.
Oppenheimer was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of New England (UNE).
When UNE opened a drama department, she "fell in love with acting" and went on to enrol at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London before starting a career as an actress on Australian television.
[2] The Australian Red Cross commissioned Oppenheimer to write an official history of the organisation in 2010, its centennial year.
The book, The Power of Humanity: 100 Years of Australian Red Cross, was published by HarperCollins and launched by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove, in August 2014.