Melissa Brown
Melissa Brown joined the ABC in 1997 in Queensland, working in the Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Cairns newsrooms before moving to Melbourne in 2002. She was the radio court reporter at the height of the Melbourne gangland war. She has spent time on the road for radio and TV news and News Breakfast, and has been a producer for Insiders. She is now a digital producer and a radio news producer and newsreader.
Latest by Melissa Brown
Swimmers warned off two popular Victorian waterholes as mercury soars across the state
Swimmers are being warned to stay away from one of Victoria's busiest beaches and a popular High Country waterhole as extreme heat grips the state.
Exiled MP Will Fowles speaks after police close assault investigation without charges
Ringwood MP Will Fowles says he's disappointed but determined as he returns to parliament after a police investigation into assault allegations.
Scuba diver, fisherman die in separate incidents off Victorian beaches
One man died and another was rescued after a boating accident south-west of Melbourne, while a scuba diver was found unconscious off the Mornington Peninsula.
Tributes for 'well loved, respected' doctor who died after home invasion in Melbourne's east
Ash Gordon, a doctor working in Melbourne's east, has been named as the man found dead on a Doncaster street after a weekend home invasion.
Christine put a hand on a customer's trolley to investigate suspected shoplifting. Then she was punched in the face
The prolonged cost-of-living crisis is continuing into a what is traditionally a period of financial stress, creating fears in the retail sector of increased abuse of workers over Christmas.
Farm workers believed to be victims of fiery Victorian crash
Police say alcohol may have been a factor in multiple-fatality crash in Victoria's north-east that's believed to have killed four vegetable farm workers from the Pacific.
'I want it now': How the Veruca Salt effect makes online shopping less sustainable
As Australians draw up their Christmas lists, more are choosing to shop online than ever before. But is it better for the environment to buy online or from a shop?
Crew lost in fatal crash near Cloncurry had travelled from a number of eastern states
Specialist police are on their way out to remote Queensland and four aircraft have been grounded after three people died in a plane crash while fighting fires.
Victoria's Jewish community encouraged not to fear and not to hide 'Jewishness'
There are heightened fears in Victoria's Jewish community of a wave of anti-Semitic sentiment as the Israel-Gaza conflict escalates.
Worker killed after chemical reaction causes explosion at Melbourne factory
One person is dead, and dozens have been evacuated from factories after a chemical explosion in Melbourne's west.
Doctors say new Victorian tax will see patients pay $20 more, if they can find a GP at all
Doctors say payroll tax changes would be a catastrophe for doctors and patients, with a third of GP clinics saying they would be forced to close.
'Our 19th man': Collingwood's Darcy Moore thanks Magpie Army for support through wins and losses
Magpies faithful flock to Olympic park as celebrations of the AFL grand final win continue.
Collingwood fans swamp Melbourne streets in celebration of nail-biting win against Brisbane Lions
Collingwood fans across Melbourne and the nation are celebrating their nail-biting four-point win over the Brisbane Lions in the AFL grand final.
Jacinta Allan names housing, First Nations treaty as priorities after becoming 49th premier of Victoria
Jacinta Allan received unanimous support in a Victorian Labor caucus meeting to become the new premier, after long-time leader Daniel Andrews announced he was calling time on the job after nine years.
Daniel Andrews steps down as an undefeated leader. What were his legacies?
Victoria's longest-serving – and Australia's highest-paid — premier is just hours from stepping down after more than 3,200 days leading the state. Here are the hits and misses of Daniel Andrews.
Geelong man whose body was found after nightly dog walk was expecting his third child, family reveals
The family of Paul Grapsas has issued a statement, describing him as a man of integrity who was expecting his third child.
How one Australian's 'sheer disbelief' at the rising cost of groceries reached 1.7 million shoppers
Backlash against Coles and Woolworths is swirling on social media as the supermarket giants record large profits amid a cost of living crisis. But one expert says the anger, and calls for a boycott, are unlikely to have a lasting effect.
Class action begins alleging one of the world's most popular weedkillers causes cancer
A class action involving 800 Australians who allege their non-Hodgkin lymphoma was caused by Roundup has begun in Melbourne.
Inquiry hears no attempt made to change Victoria's mind after Commonwealth Games cancellation — as it happened
Victoria's cancellation of the 2026 regional Commonwealth Games is under scrutiny today, as a Senate inquiry holds hearings in Melbourne. Look back at how the day's hearing unfolded.
Pioneering IVF group accused of forging signatures and burning documents about genetic test
Court documents allege scientists working for Monash IVF Group used embryos without consent, forged signatures and destroyed documents.
Victoria to pay $380m compensation for cancelling 2026 Commonwealth Games
The State of Victoria has agreed to pay the Commonwealth Games parties $380 million in compensation after pulling out of the 2026 regional event.
Victoria bans gas connections in new homes from 2024
The Victorian government will ban gas connections to new homes and residential subdivisions from January 1 next year.
Tremors felt in Melbourne as magnitude-4.6 earthquake strikes Victoria
Thousands of people report feeling the effects of an early morning earthquake in Victoria's High Country, which seismologists say may be a part of a sequence that began in 2021.
Jessica worked for years to make her business a success. With interest rates rising, she's going out 'on a low'
Australia may not be hearing the full story about the impact of rising interest rates on small businesses, as a "perfect storm" of pressures contributes to a gloomy outlook.
Why a minor earthquake woke tens of thousands of people in Melbourne
The Sunbury earthquake was fairly typical of Victorian tremors so why did it cause such a stir?