The global music world is mourning the loss of legendary Midnight Oil drummer, Rob Hirst, who has died at 70 after a nearly three-year fight with pancreatic cancer. Hirst is survived by his wife, Lesley Holland, and their three daughters — Gabriella, Lex, and Jay. Tributes have been pouring in since the time news of Hirst’s death was made public.
“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain – ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness’,” his bandmates posted to the Oils’ social media channels. “He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. The family asks that anyone wanting to honour Rob donate to @pankind_australia or @supportact.”
A Legend Is Gone
X
Widely regarded as one of Australia’s greatest musicians and a legendary figure on the global stage, Hirst was born on September 3, 1955. He grew up in Camden in Sydney’s outer west before his family later moved to the northern beaches.
After cutting his teeth in various high school bands, Hirst co-founded what would become Midnight Oil — then called Farm — with his close friend Jim Moginie in 1972. They were soon joined by charismatic frontman Peter Garrett and guitarist Martin Rotsey, forming a lineup that would remain the band’s backbone for the next 50 years.
Hirst and Moginie initially drove the band’s songwriting, with Garrett later joining them at the creative core. Renowned for his raw power behind the drum kit — and later for pounding on a steel water tank during performances of Power and the Passion — Hirst helped build Midnight Oil’s reputation as a ferocious live act during the tough pub-rock scene of the 1970s and ’80s.
What truly set the Oils apart, though, was their unapologetic activism. They challenged politicians and corporate heavyweights head-on, using their music to speak out and becoming fierce, lifelong advocates for the rights of Indigenous Australians.
Although he was modest about his singing ability, Hirst’s unmistakable voice became a key part of Midnight Oil’s sound, providing a signature harmony across their catalog. He also stepped into the spotlight as lead vocalist on fan favorites such as “Kosciuszko.”
Final Days
X
His final musical release came in November last year — a deeply personal EP titled “A Hundred Years or More,” created alongside longtime Oils bandmate Jim Moginie and fellow drummer Hamish Stuart.
Reflecting on his journey at the time, Hirst said he felt “lucky” to have enjoyed a music career spanning more than six decades, constantly writing, recording, and performing not only with Midnight Oil but also through numerous side projects, including Ghostwriters and the Backsliders.
He had recently been at the 70th birthday celebration of his Ghostwriters bandmate and Hoodoo Gurus member Rick Grossman, where he reflected on his journey and spoke warmly about how grateful he was for the life he had been able to live through music.
“At Rick Grossman’s big birthday, Reg Mombassa and members of the Gurus were there, Hamish and Jim were there, and we’re all around talking about how lucky we were that all our bands landed in the late 70s, early 80s, when people were tribally loyal to the bands they loved,” Hirst said.
“They went out every night and supported us, and we could then afford great PAs and light
“It was before all the pubs closed down and Spotify and Live Nation and AI and all these terrible things that have become obstacles for new musicians coming up.
“God, how lucky were we? So we might be legends, but we’ve been very lucky legends.”
Beyond his family and bandmates, Hirst’s deepest love was the natural beauty of Australia — especially the ocean and the bush, which meant everything to him. “The locals call it Dog Beach, because one of the few places they’re not chased off by a ranger. And yeah, we’re very lucky. We found this place, you know, almost 40 years ago.”
Hirst took great pride in making music with all three of his daughters. Gabriella and Lex both contributed vocals to the “A Hundred Years Or More” EP, while in 2020 he released the album “The Lost and the Found” with Jay O’Shea.
That project came about a decade after father and daughter were reunited. O’Shea had been adopted out by her birth mother, who became pregnant as a teenager, and their reconnection later blossomed into a shared musical collaboration.
In April 2023, Hirst was diagnosed with stage-three pancreatic cancer — just six months after Midnight Oil played their final show at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion in October 2022.
