Musician who drove much of the band’s ferocious sound and co-wrote many of its biggest hits was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023
Rob Hirst was a force of nature, a born showman who led Midnight Oil from the back
Rob Hirst, the drummer and founding member of Australian rock band Midnight Oil, has died aged 70.
Hirst was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer in 2023. The band confirmed his death on Tuesday afternoon.
“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain - ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness’,” they wrote in a statement on social media. “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.”
