SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on Friday, pushing the market into the red for the week, reflecting a broad selloff across global equities on heightened risk aversion.
Uncertainty about a U.S. interest rate decision next week and Britain's referendum on whether to remain in the European Union in the following week were keeping markets on edge.
In Australia, investors were taking no chances ahead of key Chinese data due on Monday, when the market will be shut for a public holiday. ECONCN
The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) shed 1.0 percent, or 52.1 points, to 5,309.8 by 0320 GMT. The benchmark was down 0.2 percent so far in the week.
"We expected a bit of weakness because there's a few macro things coming up," said Andrew Ward, senior portfolio manager at Aurora Funds Management.
Index heavyweights all fell. Global miner BHP Billiton (BHP) shed 3.9 percent, while Rio Tinto (RIO) lost 2.9 percent. The big four banks were all down by more than 1 percent.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) was a shade lower at 6,970.5, but was still down 0.8 percent on the week.
Sky Network Television (SKT) traded down 3.8 percent, reversing some of Thursday's 17 percent rally when Vodafone PLC
said it was merging its New Zealand unit with the country's biggest pay-TV firm, Sky. Bucking the negative trend, Air New Zealand (AIR) rose 3.7 percent after it said it has agreed to sell a 19.98 percent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings Limited to China's Nanshan Group.
Virgin shares (VAH) jumped 4.5 percent.
