The Oaks hotelier Andrew Thomas sells Neutral Bay trophy home, Cossington

The Oaks, Neutral Bay, hotelier Andrew Thomas, who bought Cassandra Thorburn and Karl Stefanovic’s $9 million home on the Cremorne waterfront, has sold in Neutral Bay.

Cossington, an 1890s Queen Anne-style residence, came with $8 million hopes.

Thomas, a third-generation hotelier, bought the home in 2000 for $2.55 million from Sydney Rum Distillery chairman David Ward and his wife Dr Michele Ward.

His subsequent $1 million renovation and extension by architect Jorge Hrdina was a finalist in the NSW Architecture Awards in 2014. The sandstone residence was originally designed by pioneer architect Howard Joseland for lawyer Ernest Smith.

It was the childhood home of one of the nation’s most important painters, Grace Cossington Smith. Raine & Horne founder Tom Raine once owned the home.

Thomas and his partner, the food public relations operative Catherine Slogrove who runs Papaya Agency, will have slightly further to travel from their new home to The Oaks, where Thomas (pictured above) has been the long-time publican.

But it’s just 2km rather than the 800m currently.

The hotel has been in the Thomas family since 1975 when his father purchased its lease from the now defunct brewing company Tooth & Co.