Ella Toth fled Hungary with her husband Josef and younger brother Imre just before the 1956 uprising and subsequent Soviet invasion. They spent four months in Austria, and in March 1957 were approved as migrants to Australia. They stayed in Bonegilla for some time, and their daughter Sue was born at Albury Base Hospital. They then moved to Melbourne, where Josef worked at GMH at Fisherman's Bend. They lived in several houses in the Hawthorn/Glenferrie area, where Ella worked as a cleaner. She would take Sue with her when she worked.

Ella applied for her parents, Zsofia and Sandor Molnar, to migrate to Australia. They were accepted, and arrived in 1959. Zsofia was a keen embroiderer, and brought an embroidery pattern tracer with her on her migration in 1959. She hoped to make embroidery to sell, using traditional Hungarian patterns. Although she never did so, she and Ella made embroidery for family members and for sale in Hungarian church fetes. Their embroidery was an important way of preserving their Hungarian culture.

After Zsofia and Sandor arrived in Melbourne, Ella and Josef bought a house in Surrey Hills. Zsofia was able to look after Sue while Ella worked, and helped to raise her. When Sue was 16 they moved to Box Hill. Zsofia and Sandor both lived until their 90s, and never wanted to return to Hungary.

References:
Personal communication with Sue Bogos, daughter of Ella Toth

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