Well, now I've looked at some more sources and come up with two separate Australian creation myths. Go figure. Both involve an all-powerful patriarchal god and a female Mother Sun to a certain extent. In one, the Great Father sends the sun down to the earth to give form to the sleeping spirits. In another he goes down himself and awakens the water snake to create rivers and shapes the spirits into plants and animals.

Gotta say, I really have no idea which if these three is the most authentic, if any. That would require a bit more research which I may well get to at some point. I'm kind of disappointed with these new versions, though. I was excited by the idea of individuals spontaneously shaping the world around them, cutting order into the disordered bundles of animals and plants. These latest two seem like more typical creation stories based on a father figure already established as being at the top of the spiritual hierarchy.

However, I do appreciate the appearance of a female sun god. All of the sun gods I've seen before (in my admittedly incomplete personal experience) have been male, aligning with the interpretation of fire as a male element. However, these myths seem to emphasize the nurturing aspects of the sun, and therefore label it as a woman, a mother.

I guess the moral is that I should do some more research before next Monday. :)