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Sept 1 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on Thursday as a flood of economic data from home and abroad made investors wary of riskier assets, and as traders awaited U.S. job data on Friday for possible clues on the chances of an interest rate hike in coming months. S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO finished down 0.3 percent, or 17.43 points, at 5,415.6. The benchmark closed at its lowest in more than six weeks on Wednesday.
Basic materials and energy stocks lost the most. Nickel miner Western Areas Ltd WSA.AX was the biggest loser on the index, tumbling 5.3 percent.
Coal miner Whitehaven Coal Ltd WHC.AX and oil producers Origin Energy Ltd ORG.AX and Santos Ltd STO.AX also were among the biggest decliners.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rebounded from earlier losses to gain 0.3 percent, or 24.36 points, to finish at 7,423.19.
Industrials, healthcare and financials were the major drivers, with medical devices maker Fisher & Paykel Corp FPH.NZ posting the biggest gain on the main index.
Auckland International Airport AIA.NZ and Westpac Banking Corp WBC.NZ gained 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively.