Career
He served as the Attorney-General of South Australia from 1915 to 1917. Upon the defeat of the Vaughan ministry in July 1917, Vaughan did not nominate for a position in the new coalition ministry of Archibald Peake, and enlisted to serve in World War I. He was controversially opposed at the 1918 election while away on active service, and being unable to campaign was defeated by Labor candidate Tom Gluyas.