The Australian share market has closed broadly steady as gains in BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Woodside Petroleum were offset by losses across the financial and health care space.

At 1610 AEDT on Tuesday, the S&P ASX/200 index was up 9.2 points, or 0.17 per cent, at 5,564.7, and the All Ordinaries was up 7.3 points, or 0.13 per cent, at 5,482.7 points.

The December share price index futures contract was up two points, or 0.05 per cent, at 5,464, with 22,000 contracts traded.