In September 2008, a combined annual conference for the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology and the Australian Association for Maritime History was held at the magnificent Institute Building of the State Library of South Australia in Adelaide. The conference was entitled "Archaeology from Below - Engaging the Public" and hoped to address the relationship between archaeology and the public. Papers presented in this session broaden discussions on the interactions of professionals and the public with respect to in situ stabilisation, preservation and management of terrestrial and underwater cultural heritage sites and their associated archaeological finds.