George Hele

George Hele

George Alfred Hele (16 July 1891 – 28 August 1982) was an Australian cricket umpire who umpired 16 Test matches between 1928 and 1933, including the infamous Bodyline series between Australia and England during the latter team's 1932–33 tour of Australia. From Adelaide, South Australia, Hele played club cricket, but retired at an early age due to injury. He also occasionally played Australian rules football for the West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SAFL). He took up umpiring at club level in 1918, and progressed to first-class level shortly after, debuting as an umpire in the 1920–21 Australian cricket season. As South Australia's primary umpire, Hele served in almost every first-class match in the state during the 1920s, both in Sheffield Shield matches involving the South Australian cricket team and in state matches against touring international sides.

He made his Test umpiring debut in November 1928, during England's 1928–29 tour of Australia. Hele umpired in all five matches during the series, becoming the first umpire of any nationality to do so in a five-Test series. Subsequently officiating in Australian series involving South Africa and the West Indies, Hele was perhaps best known for his role in the Bodyline series, umpiring all five Tests during the controversial series. Although maintaining his neutrality throughout the series, he later said he had been "horrified" at the intimidatory bowling tactics utilised by England's captain, Douglas Jardine, reflecting that he had "never seen more vicious bowling". Hele later moved to Victoria, and officiated his last first-class match in early 1935. Throughout his life, Hele was an avid collector of cricket memorabilia and writing, often including souvenirs personally received from players he had umpired. During his umpiring career, he was said to have possessed "one of the finest cricket libraries in Australia".