A Family Legacy at Reverse Pools

When you step into a Reverse Pools worksite, you don’t just see machinery and dirt - you see a family legacy in action.

When Melbourne homeowners decide to remove an old or unwanted pool, they need a trusted team with the experience, equipment, and dedication to deliver a seamless transformation. For over 30 years, Reverse Pools has been Melbourne’s trusted leader in pool removal and demolition services.

From Landscaping To Pools

In 1990, Peter Burns began filling in pools as a niche extension of his landscaping work. At the time, it was a service few others were offering, and Peter quickly became the go-to name. “For a while there in the ’90s, he was on TV and in magazines… he was the only one in the Yellow Pages doing it,” his son Tom explained.

As demand grew, the landscaping side of the business naturally took a back seat. The pool work was more machinery-based, less physically demanding, and offered a clear niche - something that set the business apart.

While studying business management, Tom worked alongside his father and began to see the business differently. “Dad said, ‘There’s a business here with a lot of potential - it just needs to be managed.’

By 2007, Tom officially stepped into the business, and in 2017, he rebranded Reverse Pools with a fresh vision. His focus was on scaling the operation while holding on to the same values of professionalism, care, and quality that his father had built the company on.

Peter, after 19 years of dedication, passed the reins of the business to his son, Tom.

Tackling Tight Spaces with the Hino 300 Series

The 2017 reset led to investment in newer machinery, tight-access equipment, and new ways of structuring teams. As the business grew, one of their biggest strengths became tackling those tricky, tight access residential jobs. With more projects demanding precise access and reliable transport, the team started hiring Hino trucks from Kennards to handle their limited-access work.

After trying out the Hino 300 Series firsthand, Tom was quickly impressed by how versatile and capable it was. “It can do everything a work ute can do, and more,” he says. In 2020, Tom decided to make a permanent addition to the fleet, purchasing a Hino 300 Series 616 Tipper through Prestige Hino.

While Reverse Pools uses a mix of heavy machinery and larger trucks, the Hino 300 Series has become essential to daily operations. Tom explains it’s often the main vehicle carrying all the tools from protection boards and hand tools to the pressure washer. “It’s small enough to use every day, but big enough to move a good amount of material,” Tom explained.

One of the biggest advantages, Tom says, is its size and manoeuvrability. “It feels more like driving a car than a truck,” he explains. “You can keep your work contained a lot easier instead of the old-school idea that bigger is better. That’s not always the case, especially in residential areas, narrow laneways, or busy streets.”

Its size also means efficiency at the end of the day, with crews able to head home while larger trucks continue loading or unloading elsewhere. “Mechanically, it’s been a great little vehicle,” Tom added. “It bats out of its leg a bit with the amount of work it does.”

A Hino That Represents the Brand

The Hino 300 Series doesn’t just play a functional role in Reverse Pools’ operations - it’s also a key part of how the business presents itself on site. Finished in the company’s signature blue, the truck is impossible to miss when it pulls into a residential street.

“When you pull into a street with the truck, the trailer, and the machines, it really feels like a bit of a takeover for a couple of days,” Tom explains. “It’s such good mobile branding.”

Because the truck is so noticeable, it naturally raises the bar on site behaviour. “If you want to stand out, you’ve got to do everything right,” Tom says. “It gives the boys another reason to make sure we clean up properly and keep things neat.”

Family and the Future

Growing up, the business was simply part of family life - Friday nights at the yard, Christmas parties with the crew, and fish and chips runs. “I can still remember all the guys’ names,” he says. “Sitting on their knees, riding down the street on machines.”

Now, decades later, that full-circle moment is impossible to miss. His own kids - a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and one-year-old son - know every crew member by name. They watch videos of the team on site, play with toy trucks, and light up when the boys pull into the driveway.

Ask Tom what he’s most proud of, and it isn’t machinery or the branding. It’s knowing his dad would have loved what the business has become. “I miss him,” he admits. “But I know he’d be proud of what we’re doing now.”

As Reverse Pools looks to the future - expanding excavation work, continuing to invest in smarter equipment, and constantly refining how jobs are done - that mindset remains unchanged.

That commitment to growth is closely tied to the tools and partners they choose. The Hino 300 Series isn’t just a truck - it’s a trusted teammate, helping the business maintain its reputation for professionalism, family values, and quality work.

Peter and Tom working side by side on the same digger