The other band members confirmed his death on Tuesday. Hirst was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023.
Rob Hirst was born in 1955 and started playing drums in his early teens. He then formed the band that would become Midnight Oil, and they played their first gig in 1971.
Hirst's drumming became a central part of Midnight Oil's sound. He also co-wrote several of the band's biggest songs, including "Beds Are Burning", and sang on the songs "When the Generals Talk" and "Kosciusko."
Bandmate Jim Moginie has described him as "the group's engine room, on and off stage".
Midnight Oil took a break in 2002 but has reunited several times since, most recently in 2016.
Rob Hirst had turned 70.
