There are three main categories of financial membership within the Association – Full Membership, Associate Membership, and Affiliate Membership. AACAI also grants Honorary Membership to former full members of the Association who are retired or no longer practicing in archaeology, and Lifetime Membership to those nominated as distinguished individuals recognised for their life-long contributions to AACAI – both of these membership categories are non-financial with the former not having voting rights.

Full Members

These individuals are fully qualified and experienced consultants, usually with a broad range of research and management skills. Full Members often act as senior heritage project managers. They have demonstrated ability and have been through an accreditation process in the organisation. Areas of expertise include site survey and recording, excavation, analysis and interpretation and, importantly, the assessment of site significance. Full Members may use the post-nominal MAACAI as a professional qualification.

Associate Members

Associates are usually earlier career members who hold appropriate qualifications in archaeology and who are still increasing their levels of work experience and management skills.

Affiliate Members

Affiliate members are professionals who are not currently practicing consultants but who, through their professional occupation as academics or in the public sector, maintain links with the Association.

Benefits of Membership

The National Executive Committee (NEC) oversees issues of wide-ranging importance for consultants, clients and the community. The Membership and Publications Committees answer to the NEC. State Chapters of AACAI deal with specific issues relating to practice in different parts of Australia with different jurisdictions and heritage organisational structures. The Chapters hold specialist workshops, seminar series and act as the first contact point for consultants.

Workshops are organised on specialised topics that assist in the professional development of consultants and which help to inform them on issues that affect their work, such as changes to legislation. Recent workshops include the analysis and management of spatial data (GIS applications) and the implications of the GST on business practice and accountability.

AACAI produces a newsletter, which keeps the members and subscribers up-to-date with a cross-section of archaeological issues in Australia and overseas. Each Newsletter includes updates on workshops and lectures of interest to consultants.

The Register of Consultants lists all Members. For Full Members, the Register lists contact details, academic qualifications, general fields of work (as ratified by the Membership Committee), special fields of expertise, specialist studies and consulting experience. The Register provides summary contact details, expertise and availability of Associate Members and lists all Affiliate Members.

This website lists all financial Full Members’ details as well as all policy documents.

AACAI can serve to lobby collectively on issues deemed to be of interest to its professional membership, such as amendments to heritage legislation. AACAI also has formal ties with other archaeological organisations, such as the Australian Archaeological Association Inc.