Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst is parting with one of the most significant pieces of Australian rock history, his 1979 Ludwig “Touring and Recording” drum kit, and the auction is already turning heads, with bids now reaching $30,000.
The historic kit, purchased brand new for the making of Head Injuries in 1979, went on to anchor Midnight Oil’s sound for more than four decades, appearing onstage from 1979 right through to the Oils’ farewell tour in 2022.
Rather than profit personally, Hirst has directed that all proceeds from the sale go to Support Act, Australia’s music industry charity, and to MusicNT’s Fix ‘Em Up Truck Campaign, which provides mobile music resources for First Nations communities.
The auction opened Friday 3 October at 6am and runs until Monday 13 October at 9pm, hosted via AirAuctioneer. Fans and collectors can view and bid here: Rob Hirst’s 1979 Black Ludwig Touring and Recording Drum Kit Auction.
The Ludwig “Touring and Recording” model, finished in Black Oyster Pearl, was marketed as the perfect professional balance between portability and studio-quality tone. Its tonal warmth and projection became a hallmark of Ludwig, and in Hirst’s hands, the heartbeat of Midnight Oil.
Ludwig’s reputation was already legendary when Hirst acquired the set. Ringo Starr had catapulted the brand to international fame during the Beatles’ peak in the ’60s, while John Bonham’s thundering performances with Led Zeppelin made Ludwig a hard rock standard in the ’70s. Hirst’s use of Ludwig carried the tradition into Australian rock, cementing the brand’s influence across yet another era and continent.
Unlike Ludwig’s more common student kits or flashy Vistalite models, the “Touring and Recording” series was produced in smaller numbers. Its scarcity, combined with Hirst’s decades-long ownership, makes this kit an especially valuable collector’s item.
This drum kit is more than wood and steel, it’s a witness to Australian music history. From Sydney’s politically charged pubs to some of the world’s biggest stages, it drove the rhythm of Midnight Oil’s trailblazing catalogue. It powered classics across albums like Head Injuries (1979), 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1982), and Diesel and Dust (1987), the latter bringing Midnight Oil to international prominence with hits such as Beds Are Burning.
By the time the Oils wrapped their farewell tour in 2022, Hirst’s Ludwig kit had become an icon in its own right, a symbol of the band’s unrelenting energy, activism, and unique sound.
Fans are now speculating where the drums may ultimately find a home. Some hope for an institution like Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Music Vault or Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum to secure the kit for public display. Others are floating grassroots solutions, with ideas of fan collectives pooling contributions to ensure the kit is preserved in Australia’s cultural institutions.
Whatever the outcome, the fact that bids have already hit $30,000 shows just how much Rob Hirst’s drums mean to fans and collectors alike. With every cent raised (beyond courier costs) going to Support Act and MusicNT’s grassroots initiatives, the auction is set to make a powerful impact well beyond the music world.
Meanwhile, Midnight Oil members Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie, along with Hamish Stuart, will release their new EP A Hundred Years or More on 14 November 2025. The four-track set follows 2023’s Red Continent, which topped the AIR chart and reached #3 on the ARIA Chart Report.
Recorded at Moginie’s Oceanic Studio on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and mixed by longtime collaborator Warne Livesey, the EP continues the trio’s rich creative chemistry. Livesey, who has worked with Midnight Oil since 1987, once again shapes the band’s distinct sound.
The project includes guest appearances from Ghostwriters’ Rick Grossman on bass and features a family connection through Rob Hirst’s daughters – Lex Hirst adds backing vocals on First Do No Harm, while Gabriella Hirst makes her recording debut singing lead on the title track.
Hirst described the sessions as “always fun, always joyful, and always surprising,” while Moginie said the EP “feels special” thanks to the new voices and Livesey’s dynamic mixes. Stuart added that the collaboration “flowed naturally” and captured the group’s playful energy.
A Hundred Years or More will be released exclusively on signed CD via Songland Records, distributed through Eleven: A Music Company.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
