News : Rob Hirst, drummer for Midnight Oil, has died aged 70

Rob Hirst, the longtime drummer and founding member of Midnight Oil, has died at the age of 70.

The Australian musician passed away nearly three years after revealing he had been diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer.

The band confirmed the news on social media on Tuesday, sharing two archival images of a young Hirst seated behind his drum kit.

“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain, ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness,’” the statement read. “He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. The family asks that anyone wishing to honour Rob consider donating to @pankind_australia or @supportact.”

In a second message, bandmates Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey shared a more recent photo of the group together on stage at the close of a show.

“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 and Pete,” they wrote.

The group originally formed in Sydney in 1972 under the name Farm, before adopting the name Midnight Oil in 1976. Best known for songs including Beds Are Burning and The Dead Heart, the band released 13 studio albums, beginning with their 1978 self titled debut and concluding with 2022’s Resist. After stepping away in 2002, they reunited in 2016 and completed their final tour in 2022.

Beyond his work with Midnight Oil, Hirst was also involved with several other projects, including Ghostwriters, Backsliders, the Angry Tradesmen and The Break. The latter, a surf rock outfit, featured fellow Oils members Moginie and Rotsey alongside Brian Ritchie and Jack Howard.

Hirst, who publicly shared his cancer diagnosis last year, is survived by his wife Leslie Holland, their daughters Alexandra and Gabriella, and his eldest daughter Jay O’Shea.