The ghost bat is endemic to Australia. Three population centres are identified, the Northern Pilbara and Kimberley in Western Australia, the Top End of the continent and in Queensland. The distribution of colonies is non-contiguous, and they usually occur in small isolated pockets within each region. Analysis of fossil remains shows that distribution patterns within Australia changed, in waves of both expansion and contraction, and the probable cause was ecological changes resulting from the increasing aridity of the continent's climate. Little is known of the genetics of the ghost bat, although research into population indicates is highly structured. The colonies shows a high degree of genetic distinctiveness at a local and regional level.