George Hele

Who was George Hele?

George Alfred Hele was an Australian cricket umpire who umpired 16 Test matches between 1928 and 1933. He was most famous for his role in the infamous Bodyline series, played 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 after an injury. He also played Australian rules football for the West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian Football League. He took up umpiring at club level in 1918, and progressed to first-class level shortly after, debuting as an umpire during 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.

Hele made his Test umpiring debut in November 1928, during England's 1928–29 tour of Australia. He umpired in all five matches during the series, becoming the first person to do so.