There was, apparently, no specific reason for the LHD car being purchased into Australia by the collector other than that he wanted a Lotus Cortina and that was the one he found...

And later, I guess, he fell out of love with it and the present owner bought it and took it to Alice Springs.

I was really expecting to learn that a US Serviceman stationed at Pine Gap (just outside The Alice) had brought it with him and left it behind when he went home. I know of one 1958 Plymouth 2-door station wagon that stayed here like that, and there are others.