Members of the future Midnight Oil began playing together in Sydney in 1972. After performing as Farm for some time, in 1976 they changed their name to Midnight Oil and began to carve their live career along the northern beaches. From the start, the Oils' songs aggressively addressed social concerns such as the environment, uranium mining and Aboriginal rights. In 1987 they released their eighth album, Diesel and Dust, which sold more than two million copies world-wide. It included the hit Beds are Burning, performed provocatively at the close of the 2000 Olympics. Martin Rotsey, Rob Hirst, Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Bones Hillman effectively disbanded in 2002, when Garrett became President of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Garrett was the member for the Federal seat of Kingsford Smith from 2004 to 2013, during which period he served as minister for the environment, heritage and the arts and school education, early childhood and youth. Having reunited to play in undimmed form in Canberra and Melbourne in early 2009, the Oils were declared by one reviewer to be 'the best live band Australia has ever produced, hands down'. Their successful Great Circle world tour of 2017 comprised more than 70 shows across five continents.
Commissioned with funds from the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001
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