George Alfred Hele (16 July 1891 – 28 August 1982) 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 (SAFL). 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. Subsequently, officiating in Australian series against 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, and had "never seen more vicious bowling". Hele later moved to Victoria, and officiated his last first-class match in early 1935. Throughout his life, he had been an avid collector of cricket memorabilia and writing, including souvenirs personally received from players he had umpired. During his umpiring career, he was also said to have possessed "one of the finest cricket libraries in Australia".
Early life
Hele was born on 16 July 1891 to Elizabeth Ann (née Patterson) and Andrew William Hele, in an inner suburb of Adelaide. He was named after George Giffen, who was one of Australia's leading cricketers of the late 19th century. His father had been a keen participant in both football and cricket, and kept wicket for the Bowden Cricket Club in the Adelaide and Suburban Cricket Association. He also served as an umpire, umpiring first-class games between South Australia and Victoria during both the 1913–14 and 1914–15 seasons. Hele left school at the age of 13, and took up work in a factory manufacturing soft drinks. Like his father, he played as a wicket-keeper, keeping wicket for the Brompton Methodists, and later for the West Torrens Cricket Club in the higher-level SACA District competition. However, his playing career was short, as he was forced to retire due to a persistent injury. Like his father, Hele was also a keen footballer, and played senior matches for the West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SAFL) during the period surrounding World War I. His brother, Robert Roy Hele, also played for West Torrens, and was later a SANFL commissioner.
Umpiring career
Following his father into umpiring, Hele umpired his first district cricket match in 1918, a B-grade game at the Adelaide Oval. He was unable to umpire the following season due to work commitments, but began umpiring regularly the following season, becoming one of Adelaide's leading club cricket umpires. Hele was selected to make his first-class umpiring debut in a match towards the end of the 1920–21 Australian season, between South Australia and a touring English side, captained by Johnny Douglas. The match, beginning on 11 March 1921, lasted four days, and was won by Douglas' side by an innings and 63 runs, with Wilfred Rhodes and C. A. G. Russell both recording double centuries in an innings total of 627. Hele umpired his first Sheffield Shield game the following season, a five-day game between South Australia and New South Wales, and would umpire regularly for the rest of the 1920s, becoming the South Australian Cricket Association's first-choice umpire by the middle of the decade. In March 1927, whilst umpiring a grade cricket game between Sturt and Kensington at the Adelaide Oval, Hele was struck in the temple by a ball thrown from the square leg fielder, and, after collapsing, had to be escorted from the field. Hele served as secretary of the South Australian Cricket Umpires' Association, and, following on from his football playing career, also served as a goal umpire for SAFL matches, subsequently also filling the role of secretary of the South Australian National Football Umpires' Association.