Dragonfly Floating Pool Cleaner

It is with sadness, but also enormous pride, that I’m announcing the closure of the Dragonfly Floating Pool Cleaner.

The Dragonfly was invented more than three decades ago by two Dutch-Australian brothers, Max and Robbert Plink. Robbert brought the engineering mind, while Max became the driving force behind the business, teaching himself marketing, ecommerce and even how to build the Dragonfly website when the internet was just beginning. The original side hustlers.

What began as a solution to stop leaves from sinking in Max’s own swimming pool grew into an Australian invention sold to thousands of customers around the world. Dragonfly skimmers made their way to the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, Taiwan, Switzerland, Spain, South Africa, Singapore, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Korea, Indonesia, India, Greece, Germany, France, Cyprus, Finland, Brunei and Belgium, among many other places.

Every order from a new country brought tremendous excitement. Max and Robbert continued working on the Dragonfly together several times a week, and at different times, many members of our family and close family friends became involved in the business.

There were many adventures and proud moments along the way. The Dragonfly won the People’s Choice Award on the ABC’s The Inventors and was featured in an exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show. At one point the business was sold to a company in Queensland, but when the product was shelved, Max fought for two years to regain ownership so he could continue selling the invention he loved.

The Dragonfly was never just a product to our family. It gave Dad and Robbert a lasting sense of purpose and gave all of us something that connected us. We talked about it, worked on it, laughed about it and followed its journey around the world.

Sadly, Max is now living with advanced dementia and has moved into residential care. Our family, led by his partner Kay, together with Robbert, have worked hard to keep the business operating as his health declined, but it is no longer practical for us to continue. Our final stock has now been sold, the business is closed, and unfortunately no replacement parts remain available.

We would like to sincerely thank every customer, distributor, supplier, friend and supporter who helped two brothers turn an idea into a business that lasted for more than 30 years. You gave our family something very special, and we will always be proud of what Max and Robbert created.

Dragonfly skimmers were made to last, and we know that many are still working in pools around the world. We hope yours continues to serve you for many more years.

Here’s to clean pools, beautiful trees and the remarkable legacy of a simple Australian invention.