2026<\/small>Image L-R: Jim Moginie, Peter Garrett, Bones Hillman, Martin Rotsey, Rob Hirst, Damian Trotter (Sony Music Publishing Australia). Credit: Tony Mott<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of beloved songwriter, drummer and friend, Rob Hirst.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hirst was best known as the drummer for Midnight Oil<\/strong>, who he played with for 50 years,<\/strong> from their formation on Sydney\u2019s Northern Beaches in 1972 until their worldwide farewell concerts in 2022. He also performed and recorded with a number of other acts including Angry Tradesmen, Backsliders <\/strong>and Ghostwriters.<\/strong> For APRA\u2019s 75th Anniversary in 2001, an industry poll of the top 30 Australian songs featured \u201cBeds are Burning\u201d at #3 <\/strong>and \u201cPower and the Passion\u201d, <\/strong>which <\/strong>Hirst co-wrote with bandmates Jim Mogini<\/strong> and Peter Garrett<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hirst and the other members of Midnight Oil received the 2018 Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music<\/strong><\/a> at the 2018 APRA Music Awards, an acknowledgement of their powerful songwriting, support for environmental causes, and the social justice activism that defined the band on a global scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Midnight Oil was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006<\/strong> and received the Sydney Peace Foundation\u2019s Gold Medal for Human Rights in 2020. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hirst was a passionate advocate for the industry and has asked that any donations be made to music industry charity, Support Act<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jenny Morris, Chair of APRA, says: <\/strong>\u201cRob was a music man of many talents. For me he will always be associated with writing, crafting and playing some of the most iconic songs in Australian music history. He will be sorely missed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRob\u2019s songwriting had a profound impact on Australian culture and on other music creators,” adds<\/strong> Dean Ormston, CEO, APRA AMCOS. “<\/strong>Through his songs and the music of Midnight Oil, Rob addressed vital issues and never shied away from taking a stand. Rob was the passion inside one of Australia\u2019s most powerful bands, the force that made those songs soar \u2013 whether they were playing to a packed pub or an arena of adoring fans.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leah Flanagan, Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Programs & Strategy, who also played with the Oils, shares: <\/strong>\u201cRob Hirst was the beating heart of Midnight Oil \u2014 a drummer whose power on stage was matched only by his deep compassion off it. A lifelong supporter of Indigenous rights and a steadfast champion of musicians from the bush, Rob understood how music holds stories, heals communities and moves hearts toward change. One of the most influential musicians in Australian music, he inspired countless artists and people from all walks of life. His commitment to environmental and charitable causes never wavered, and his generosity enriched every space he entered.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hirst is survived by his wife Leslie Holland, three daughters and grandchildren. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Midnight Oil – “Beds Are Burning”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2026Image L-R: Jim Moginie, Peter Garrett, Bones Hillman, Martin Rotsey, Rob Hirst, Damian Trotter (Sony Music Publishing Australia). Credit: Tony Mott We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of beloved songwriter, drummer and friend, Rob Hirst. Hirst was best known as the drummer for Midnight Oil, who he played with for 50 years, from their formation on … Continue reading “Vale Rob Hirst”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-australian"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2215,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214\/revisions\/2215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioindustrynews.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
He also wrote many of the Oils hits, becoming a member of APRA in 1978 <\/strong>and earning writing credits on songs including \u201cBeds Are Burning\u201d, \u201cBlue Sky Mine\u201d <\/strong>and \u201cRead About It\u201d<\/strong>. He went on to win a number of awards including APRA\u2019s coveted Song of the Year<\/strong><\/a> in 2021 for \u201cGadigal Land\u201d <\/strong>and a Gold Award in 1991 for \u201cBeds Are Burning\u201d. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n