He was born at
Carey Gully, South Australia, the fourth son of Henry and Anne Stacey.[2][3] He worked as a miner at
Moonta and
Wallaroo and in
Western Australia, managed his father's orchard for a time, and became involved in the timber industry, owning the Lenswood Case and Timber Mills, which supplied timber to the mines and for fruit cases. He was involved in the local community at
Uraidla, serving on the local show and school committees, but later retired from the timber business and moved to suburban
Maylands.[4][5] He was a
Corporate Town of St Peters councillor from 1923 to 1925, an alderman from 1925 to 1928, and mayor from 1928 to 1932.[5][6][7][8]
Stacey was elected to the House of Representatives at the
1931 federal election, defeating long-term Labor MP
George Edwin Yates. He was re-elected in 1934, 1937 and 1940, the third time with a majority of 2,198.[9] Stacey was defeated in the Labor victory at the
1943 federal election, although he had previously been reported as being "supremely confident" of retaining his seat.[10][11]
Stacey moved to
Klemzig after his parliamentary defeat, where he again ran an orchard.[12][13][14] He later twice unsuccessfully contested
Liberal and Country League preselection for state seats: in 1944 for Central District No. 2 in the Legislative Council, and in 1947 for the House of Assembly seat of
Torrens.[15][16][17]
^"URAIDLA PIONEER". The News. Vol. XIV, no. 2, 129 (SPORTS ed.). Adelaide. 14 May 1930. p. 13. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^
ab"NEW SUBURBAN MAYORS". The News. Vol. XI, no. 1, 663 (HOME ed.). Adelaide. 12 November 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS". The Register. Vol. LXXXVIII, no. 25, 876. Adelaide. 3 December 1923. p. 13. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"ST. PETERS". The Chronicle. Vol. LXVIII, no. 3, 612. Adelaide. 12 December 1925. p. 70. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SOCIAL TO MR. F. H. STACEY". The News. Vol. XIX, no. 2, 914. Adelaide. 19 November 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SOCIAL NOTES". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 21 November 1947. p. 12. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Out Among The People". The Chronicle. Vol. 90, no. 5, 122. Adelaide. 19 February 1948. p. 39. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Theft at Home Of Ex-M.H.R."The News. Vol. 43, no. 6, 660. Adelaide. 2 December 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"L.C.L. Endorses Ex-Minister". The News. Vol. 47, no. 7, 296. Adelaide. 20 December 1946. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.