Paul Hester, 46; Played Drums With Split Enz and Crowded House

Paul Hester, 46, onetime drummer with the Australian pop band Crowded House, died of an apparent suicide in Melbourne, Australia. Hester was found hanged Saturday in a park near his home, said Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokeswoman Liraje Memishi.

Hester’s mother was a jazz drummer, and Hester, a native of Melbourne, learned to play the drums at an early age. He was in several small bands before joining the New Zealand new wave group Split Enz in 1983. He and Split Enz singer Neil Finn formed Crowded House in 1985 with bass player Nick Seymour.

Crowded House was one of Australia’s most successful bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with international hits such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Weather With You” and “Chocolate Cake.”

Crowded House’s albums included its self-titled debut in 1986, “Temple of Low Men” (1988), “Woodface” (1991) and “Together Alone” (1993).

Hester, who struggled over the years with depression, left the group in 1994, citing the pressures of touring and declining motivation.

He had been a guest host on radio and television shows in Australia over the last few years.