Rob Hirst, Midnight Oil drummer and co‑founder, dies aged 70

Rob Hirst, the drummer and a founding member of Australian rock band Midnight Oil, has died aged 70, the band said on Tuesday afternoon. Hirst was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer in 2023. In a social media statement the band wrote: "After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain - ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness’." They said he "died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones" and asked that anyone wishing to honour him donate to Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia or Support Act.

Having formed Midnight Oil in 1976, Hirst was known for his furious drumming and as a co‑writer of many of the band’s songs, including Beds Are Burning, The Dead Heart, Short Memory, The Power and the Passion, Forgotten Years and King of the Mountain. His bandmate Jim Moginie described him in his 2024 memoir The Silver River as Midnight Oil’s "engine room, onstage and off".

Hirst also played in other groups including Ghostwriters, the Backsliders, the Angry Tradesmen and the Break, and Midnight Oil released 13 studio albums over almost 50 years. Hirst is survived by his wife Leslie Holland, their daughters Alexandra and Gabriella, and his eldest daughter Jay O’Shea.

Key Topics

Culture, Rob Hirst, Midnight Oil, Pancreatic Cancer, Pankind, Support Act