(Updates to close) Sept 22 (Reuters) - Australian shares...

(Updates to close)

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Australian shares advanced for a third straight session on Thursday, boosted by mining stocks, after the U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, hurting the dollar and lifting commodity prices. [MKTS/GLOB]

The Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe gave an optimistic assessment of the economy in his first public appearance on Thursday.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (xjo) finished up 0.7 percent, or 34.94 points, at 5,374.5.

Gold stocks .AXGD rose as much as 6.8 percent to record their biggest intraday percentage gain since June. Newcrest Mining (NCM) jumped 6.9 percent.

Mining giants BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO) climbed 2.7 percent and 3.3 percent respectively.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index (nz50) recouped losses to rise 0.4 percent, or 30.54 points, to 7,311.71.

EBOS Group Ltd (EBO) was the top percentage gainer on the benchmark, ending 2.7 percent firmer.