Rob Hirst — drummer, songwriter and founding member of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil — has died at age 70 following a bout with pancreatic cancer.
Midnight Oil confirmed the news in a social media statement.
“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain – ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness,'” the band wrote. “He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. The family asks that anyone wanting to honour Rob donate to Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia or Support Act.”
In a follow-up statement, the band wrote: “We are shattered and grieving the loss of our brother Rob. For now there are no words but there will always be songs. Love Always from Jim, Martin & Pete.”
Rob Hirst’s Life and Career
Born in Camden, New South Wales, Australia, on Sept. 3, 1955, Hirst began playing music with schoolmates Jim Moginie and Andrew “Bear” James under the name Schwampy Moose. They later changed the name to Farm (which stood for “F—ing All Right Mate”) and finally settled on Midnight Oil.
Midnight Oil released their self-titled debut album in 1978. They steadily gained traction in their native Australia over their next several albums and achieved their domestic breakthrough with 1982’s 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, which reached No. 3 on the Australian charts. Their international breakthrough came with 1987’s Diesel and Dust, a concept album about Indigenous Australians and environmental issues. The album went platinum in the United States, spawned the Top 20 hit “Beds Are Burning” and was voted the best album of 1988 by Rolling Stone critics.
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During Midnight Oil’s early-’90s break, Hirst joined Hoodoo Gurus bass guitarist Rick Grossman and guitarist Andrew Dickson to form the band Ghostwriters, who released four albums. Hirst wrote their debut single, 1991’s “Someone’s Singing New York New York,” which became a Top 40 success in Australia. In 2000, Hirst also joined the Australian blues band Backsliders, recording six full-length albums with the group.
Midnight Oil disbanded in 2002 when lead singer Peter Garrett quit the band to focus on a political career. They staged a reunion tour in 2017 and released two more albums, 2020’s The Makarrata Project and 2022’s Resist, both of which featured Hirst. Midnight Oil played their final show in October 2022.
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Hirst Kept Seeking the ‘Beauty of the Everyday’ in His Final Months
Hirst self-released his most recent album, Born Electric, in October 2025. He quickly followed it with A Hundred Years or More, a collaborative EP made with Midnight Oil bandmate Moginie and original Average White Band guitarist Hamish Stuart.
By then, Hirst had been living with his pancreatic cancer diagnosis for more than two years. “I realize it’s quite an existentialist bunch of songs, with titles like ‘Are We There Yet?’ and ‘A Hundred Years or More,'” he told The Age. “I suppose I’ve been thinking about lifespan and longevity – legacy, even. And, of course, that comes out in the songs.”
Despite being occupied by health issues and global political turmoil, Hirst remained optimistic near the end of his life. “It’s been a bleak time, here and internationally,” he said, “but if you dwell on that, you forget the beauty of the everyday.”
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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
