The legendary Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, has sadly faced a loss in the family today as co-founder and band drummer Rob Hirst has passed away at the age of 70. Hirst had been battling pancreatic cancer for over three years. The news was broken online by the bands own social media page in which they shared their devastation with the news.
“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.“
The group also released a second post in memoriam of Rob which shared some comments on his years long battle with cancer.
“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain – ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness’. He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. The family asks that anyone wanting to honour Rob donate to @pankind_australia or @supportact.“
Rob Hirst was born in 1955 and grew up in the outer west suburbs of Sydney before moving to the northern beaches. Hirst was one of Midnight Oils founders, having co-founded it with Jim Moginie in 1972. The band originally was known as Farm before changing to Midnight Oil.
Hirst and Moginie were the bands original songwriters before Peter Garrett joined the band as lead singer and also become a key songwriter. What notably separated Midnight Oil from other Aussie bands, other than their music, was their confident political activism. They were proud voices for giving rights to Indigenous Australians and didn’t shy away from calling out major corporations.
Hirst released his last piece of music in November of last year, but outside the studio he spent a big portion of his life by the ocean. Hirst was a massive voice for the protection of the environment and has stated many times how much he adores the sea and the beach. He will be survived by his wife Lesley and daughters Gabriella, Lex, and Jay.
