Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst dead at 70

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

“After fighting heroically for almost three years, Rob is now free of pain – ‘a glimmer of tiny light in the wilderness,'” Midnight Oil writes in an Instagram post published Tuesday. “He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.”

Hirst had revealed in 2025 that he’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer following the conclusion of Midnight Oil’s farewell tour in 2022.

“We are shattered and grieving the loss of our brother Rob,” the Oils add in a separate post. “For now there are no words but there will always be songs.”

Hirst cofounded Midnight Oil in 1976. The band became beloved in their native Australia and broke out worldwide with their 1987 album, Diesel and Dust, which spawned the singles “Beds Are Burning” and “The Dead Heart.”

The Oils were also known for singles including “Blue Sky Mine,” “Forgotten Years,” “King of the Mountain” and “Truganini.”