Lex Hirst Completes Late Father's Songwriting Book
World is Almost at Peace, by the late Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, has been finished and published by his daughter Lex Hirst.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Rock
Lex Hirst has finished and published World is Almost at Peace, a songwriting book begun by her late father, Rob Hirst, the drummer and key songwriter of Midnight Oil. Rob Hirst died from pancreatic cancer in January, when the book was about 85 per cent complete.
Why it matters
The book preserves the creative record of one of Australia's best-known rock bands and their songwriting process. It also shows how a family and fellow musicians carried a deeply personal project to completion after his death.
The book was about 85 per cent complete when Rob Hirst died, after two years of writing. Lex Hirst began finishing it about a month after his death, and the final text includes An Upwelling, the only song in the book never recorded.
The players
Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst was the drummer and key songwriter of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, and he died from pancreatic cancer in January 2026.
Lex Hirst
Lex Hirst is the daughter of Rob Hirst, and she completed and published World is Almost at Peace after his death.
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil is an Australian rock band best known for its politically charged songwriting and its long-running catalogue of hits.
The details
The book moves track by track through Rob Hirst's completed and recorded songs, with notes on who wrote individual Midnight Oil lines. Its lines are colour-coded to show which band member wrote each line, rhyme or word, and it is arranged chronologically with notes and artefacts throughout.
Timeline
Two years before January 2026: Rob Hirst begins writing the book while battling cancer.
January 2026: Rob Hirst dies from pancreatic cancer.
About a month after his death: Lex Hirst begins finishing the book.
1 November 2026: Coverage of the completed book is published.
Roadmap
The book documents the songwriting behind Midnight Oil's recorded catalogue, extending the band's legacy from recordings into a written record. It follows the tradition of musicians publishing their own songwriting notes, bringing the lyrical craft of a long-running Australian rock band to readers.
Readers interested in Midnight Oil's songwriting can access the book directly as a published work. The book is written as a track-by-track account rather than a general biography, so it focuses on the lyrics and the band's creative process.
The takeaway
The book shows how a songwriter's craft can outlive him when family and collaborators work to finish what he started. Readers who value lyric writing can use it as a practical study of how a band's songs were built line by line.
Further reading
Explore more Rock coverage from Australia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
