He held this position until the Liberal Government's defeat at the hands of Gough Whitlam in 1972, when Aston lost his seat.

After leaving school he obtained an accounting qualification and began working for clothing manufacturer Jones Brothers Ltd. as a clerk.

He was active in the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia and in 1948 was elected president of its Bronte branch.

[4] He helped convince foreign minister William McMahon to make more explicitly pro-Israel statements, following concerns expressed by Israeli contacts.

[8] In 1971 he officially opened the first annual conference of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry at the new National Jewish Memorial Centre in Canberra.

Aston's proposed procedural reforms were included in a report of the House Standing Orders Committee which he delivered as ex officio chairman in September 1970.

The House did not accept some of the major changes proposed, but did adopt recommendations for shorter speaking times and reduced quorums.

Following his re-election as speaker in 1969, ALP frontbenchers Kim Beazley and Clyde Cameron accused him as being a "lackey of the prime minister [Gorton]".

In April 1971, Aston was the subject of a no-confidence motion from the opposition, with ALP deputy leader Lance Barnard describing him as "arbitrary, capricious, inconsistent and undeniably partisan".

[3] One of the most significant incidents involving Aston occurred in March 1971, when journalist Alan Ramsey shouted "you liar!"

The couple had three children, including Ray Aston who served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1986 until his death in 1988.