We had the belt here in Ireland as well , it was usually called the leather, was not split at the ends like a tawse and was given on the hands.
The belt (or strap) was used here in Australia too. It was the sort described by Sean – a couple of pieces of leather stiched together and applied almost exclusively to the hands.
The strap was usually given across the hand, although some teachers strapped along the hand instead. Most classroom punishments were one or two whacks, although more serious misbehaviour meant more.
I was a well-behaved boy (OK – a bit of a whimp!) and I only copped it a few times, with two strokes being the most I got.