This document describes a research project that aims to map and analyze how Australians use social media platforms like Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and blogs. The researchers are using computer-assisted methods like data crawling, network analysis, and visualization tools to track activity on these platforms over time and examine different online communities and discussions around hashtags. Some initial findings are presented on hashtag networks and topics like #ausvotes and #qldfloods. The goal is to develop a better understanding of how "networked publics" function in Australia through quantitative and qualitative analysis of large-scale social media data.