Midnight Oil Tragedy: Drummer Rob Hirst Dies at 70

Rob Hirst, the original drummer and a co-founder of the renowned Australian rock group Midnight Oil, has passed away at the age of 70.

In 2023, Hirst was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer. His passing was officially announced by the band on a Tuesday afternoon.

“Rob bravely battled his illness for nearly three years. He is now at peace, a tiny beacon of light in the darkness,” the band shared in a social media statement. “He left this world peacefully, with his family by his side. The family encourages those wishing to pay tribute to Rob to consider donations to Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia, or Support Act.”

In 2025, Hirst expressed his backing for voluntary assisted dying, which he qualified for in his home state of New South Wales.

“Why must one suffer excruciating, prolonged pain?” he questioned in an interview with the Australian. “After experiencing such a remarkable life, why should one’s final moments be so dreadful when there is another way?”

Since founding Midnight Oil in 1976, Hirst was not only famous for his intense drumming skills but also as a co-writer of lyrics and melodies for several of the band’s iconic tracks including “Beds Are Burning,” “The Dead Heart,” “Short Memory,” “The Power and the Passion,” “Forgotten Years,” and “King of the Mountain.”

“Rob was bold, humorous, and exceedingly smart, a far cry from the typical stereotype of drummers,” penned his bandmate Jim Moginie in his 2024 memoir, “The Silver River,” describing him as the “engine room” of Midnight Oil, both on and off the stage.

Hirst also played in several other musical groups including Ghostwriters, Backsliders, the Angry Tradesmen, and the Break.

Born in NSW in 1955, Hirst received his first drum kit following surgery at age 12 to remove a benign tumor in his right leg.

Hirst and his schoolmate Moginie formed a band in 1972, initially named Schwampy Moose, then renamed to Farm (short for Fucking All Right Mate).

After placing an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald for a vocalist in 1975, Peter Garrett joined Hirst, Moginie, and bassist Andrew James, with Martin Rotsey on guitar and their “sixth member,” manager Gary Morris. They renamed themselves Midnight Oil in 1976. James was later succeeded by Peter Gifford, then Bones Hillman.

Over nearly five decades, Midnight Oil released 13 studio albums. Hirst stayed with the band until their break in 2002, when Garrett left to enter federal politics. The band reconvened in 2017.

During another break in the 1990s, Hirst, along with guitarist Andrew Dickson and Hoodoo Gurus bassist Rick Grossman, created the Ghostwriters, releasing four albums. He also played in the blues ensemble Backsliders and formed another band, the Angry Tradesman, with vocalist Dom Turner, blending drum and bass with experimental post-punk.

Hirst, along with his Oils colleagues Moginie and Rotsey, also formed the surf rock band the Break with Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie and Hunters & Collectors trumpet player Jack Howard, releasing two albums in 2010 and 2013.

Hirst leaves behind his wife Leslie Holland, their daughters Alexandra and Gabriella, and his eldest daughter Jay O’Shea, also a musician, who was adopted out after her birth when Hirst was 17 and her mother was 15. Hirst and O’Shea reunited in 2010.

Reflecting on his life in 2025, he told the Australian, “It’s been absolutely better than anything anyone could ever ask for. So, if my life is cut short by this tiny tumor, I still consider myself incredibly lucky.”