Australia shares steady; oil, gold stocks firmer

SYDNEY, Oct 1 - Australian shares were steady on Thursday with the market cooled after strong recent gains, but oil and gold stocks climbed on firmer oil and bullion prices.

Mining stocks such as BHP Billiton Ltd <BHP.AX> which led last quarter's massive gains, were lower despite gains in metal prices.

Traders said sentiment was slightly cautious after the benchmark index logged its biggest ever quarterly gain in the three months to September.

"The market is taking a breather," said Jamie Spiteri, manager of institutional sales at Shaw Stockbroking. "There is a little bit of hesitation in acting on some of the moves overnight," he added.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index <.AXJO> was down 0.01 percent at 4,742.9 points by 0125 GMT, after slipping 0.2 percent on Wednesday.

The index jumped 20 percent in the September quarter on prospects of a global recovery.

New Zealand's benchmark NZX-50 index <.NZ50> index rose 0.7 percent to 3,181.4.

STOCKS ON THE MOVE

* Woodside Petroleum Ltd <WPL.AX>, Australia's No. 2 oil producer, added 1.7 percent to A$53.01 and Santos Ltd <STO.AX> firmed 1.2 percent to A$15.38. Oil prices jumped over 5 percent on Wednesday.

0129 GMT

* Newcrest Mining Ltd <NCM.AX>, Australia's biggest gold miner, gained 3.2 percent to A$32.92 and Lihir Gold Ltd <LGL.AX> added 2.9 percent to A$2.88. Gold climbed back to $1,000 an ounce on Wednesday, helped by a weaker U.S. dollar.

0129 GMT (Reporting by Denny Thomas;) ((denny.thomas@reuters.com; +61 2 9373 1812; Reuters Messaging: denny.thomas.reuters.com@reuters.net)) (