Thirty-five years since the Oils’ Exxon protest in NYC, Green Music Australia is proud to present this interview with our Patron Rob Hirst on the power of music to change the world.

It’s remembered as one of the most audacious protests in music history, with all the conviction only the Oils could pull off. On May 30, 1990, Midnight Oil brought Manhattan to a standstill performing on a flatbed truck outside the ExxonMobil building, to highlight the company’s inadequate response to one of the world’s worst oil spills – when Exxon’s Valdez oil tanker ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, devasting the local marine ecosystem and the local economy.

Back then, Exxon’s CEO boasted the company’s profits hadn’t flinched. Neither did the Oils, unfurling a banner as they played: “Midnight Oil makes you dance, Exxon makes us sick”. 

Thirty-five years since that iconic performance, Green Music Australia proudly acknowledges the Oils’ immeasurable contribution and commitment to environmental activism, the powerful role of music as a galvanising force for social change - and the band’s ongoing support of our work. 

At the heart of the Oils’ extraordinary musical catalogue is the songwriting of Jim Moginie, Peter Garrett and our Patron Rob Hirst. Rob is one of Green Music Australia’s earliest and greatest champions, and his quiet work supporting environmental and social justice campaigns, and penning songs about them over many decades, is as legendary as the racket he’s made for almost 50 years as one of the world’s greatest rock and roll drummers. 

Rob is also renowned for his support of other musicians - the mentoring, collaborations and encouragement that happens away from the spotlight. 

One of those quiet moments happened at our Sound Country Artist Leadership Retreat in September last year, as we brought together some of Australia’s leading artists for a week of shared learnings and creative collaboration at Spring Bay Mill in Tasmania. 

At the time, Rob was quietly navigating invasive treatment for pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis still very much held in private confidences. Mindful of the diagnosis, the treatment and the privacy considerations - I asked Rob if he might have the energy to join us for an online chat; a conversation about the Oils, to share his reflections with a room full of artists on some of those incredible musical ‘actions’ – including the Sorry suits at the Sydney 2000 Games and Exxon, of course - and the decades of songwriting, written from the heart… 

This warm conversation reveals the thoughtfulness and conviction that has underpinned Rob’s songwriting ethos, the passion he has channelled to amplify the issues he’s championed through the Oils’ songbook. And the power of music to win hearts, make us dance – and just maybe change the world.

For many of us, the Oils formed the soundtrack and the conscience of our lives - much more than a band - they set a benchmark for the power of music as catalyst for social change, and a beacon of hope in challenging times. The power, ferocity and intention of their live shows remains without peer.

With Rob’s permission, and the blessing of the Oils, Green Music Australia is proud to present this deep-dive interview with our Patron Rob Hirst as we celebrate his mighty contribution to Australian music, and the impact of those audacious and iconic ‘actions’ that defined the temper of the times.

It’s an honour beyond words… 

Tracee Hutchison
Chair, Green Music Australia – May 2025