But the more people we spoke to at Mr Cullen’s popular Bonnells Bay hotel, the more story leads we received.

“Are you here because Pete’s paid for the men’s shed?” one punter asked.

It turns out Mr Cullen has provided $17,500 to enable Southlakes Men Shed to construct a purpose-built home at Morisset Showground.

But more about that later.

“Do you know about the paraplegic golfer here from Queensland?” another asked. “Peter pays his airfares every year,” we were told.

It turns out that for nine years, Mr Cullen has paid the airfares and provided accommodation for world paraplegic long-drive golf champion Dave Sawtell to travel from the Gold Coast to take part in the annual charity golf day at Morisset.

But that’s a story for another day.

And then there was the Morisset Golf Pro-Am at the weekend with its party tent on the second hole. A pop-up bar provided golfers and supporters with Morisset’s answer to the famous party hole at TPC Sawgrass, in America. It’s a real point of difference on the local pro-am circuit, and ensures golfers are talking about Morisset long after their game.

It was sponsored, of course, by Mr Cullen and his pub.

But, back to Variety.

The Bay Hotel Charity Golf Day has been raising money for Variety for 19 years.

“We’ve probably raised close to $500,000 in that time, through the golf day and the other events that we’ve done,” Mr Cullen said.

It’s a cause the community feels strongly about.

“It’s not hard to get support when you’re doing something for kids,” Mr Cullen said.

After the golf, the players adjourned to The Bay Hotel where they took part in an auction featuring sporting and leisure items.

There they sat at wooden tables and seats that had recently been repaired and refurbished by the Southlakes Men Shed group.

Shed spokesman John Mulcahy said the group had accepted a generous offer from Mr Cullen to refurbish the beer garden furniture in return for a $10,000 donation.

When Mr Cullen learned that the group was still short of its $17,500 target for a new 18-metre by 9-metre shed, he upped his offer.

“Pete just said, ‘I’ll pay you that. It doesn’t matter, I’m dealing with gentlemen’,” Mr Mulcahy said.

“I was in utter disbelief. We’re just so bloody grateful.”