Overview
- The band said he died peacefully on January 20, 2026, surrounded by loved ones after intensive treatment for pancreatic cancer.
- Surviving members called him irreplaceable and said he is free from pain, while artists including Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel posted tributes.
- Hirst co-founded the group that became Midnight Oil and helped write hits such as "Blue Sky Mine," "The Dead Heart" and "Power and the Passion."
- He continued writing and performing through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and he told ABC he had survived a bout of sepsis.
- His family requested donations to pancreatic cancer research, and he is survived by his wife Lesley Holland and daughters Gabriella, Lex and Jay.